What is a brokered convention and how does it work

As Donald Trump continues his primary winning streakmany Republicans looking to thwart his path to the nomination are resigned to a rare and controversial tactic to take him out: The chaotic insider's game of picking the nominee hasn't happened in decades. And e ven longtime strategists are uncertain how, or even if, a contested convention would play out. Still, anyone-but-Trump Republicans are convinced it's their best shot to defeat the businessman, who they fear will doom their White House chances in John Kasich's victory in his home state on March 15 kept those hopes alive.

Here is your guide to understanding what a contested convention is, and how what is a brokered convention and how does it work would work. A contested convention arises if no candidate earns a majority of delegates by the end of the primary process.

A Republican candidate must win 1, of the 2, total delegates to win the nomination outright. How people become delegates ranges widely from state to state. Traditionally those delegates were establishment-leaning party insiders think county chairmen who might also be involved in their local Chamber of Commerce.

But what is a brokered convention and how does it work local and state parties have been taken over by activists of various stripes in recent years especially libertarian Ron Paul activists in certain statesso it's a mixed bag who their personal loyalties lie with.

Texas delegates cheer as Mitt Romney is nominated for president at the Republican National Convention. Delegates are awarded to candidates based on how they perform in an individual state's primary or caucus, with rules varying widely by state as to how the delegates are assigned. A convention is contested if no candidate has a majority of delegates going into the convention, but wins a majority of delegates on the first round of balloting.

A convention is brokered if it takes multiple rounds of balloting before a nominee emerges. That's why Kasich has been openly talking up the possibility of a contested contention — and why Trump and Cruz have been critical of it. It's likely the only way Kasich or someone else palatable to moderates and the establishment might wind up as the nominee.

Trump has held firm against the idea of a contested convention. Imagine trying to decide where to eat with 10 of your friends. If one restaurant gets the majority of people backing it, everyone goes there.

But if there are a few options with a few backers, there's inevitably a lot of fighting, it takes forever to make a decision, the hangriest person ends up losing their temper and people come away with hurt feelings while no one's thrilled with the eventual meal.

Delegates at the Republican National Convention in St. This year's convention will be in Cleveland. Candidates will go into the convention with a certain number of pledged delegates. Those delegates are required — bound — to vote for a candidate on the first round of balloting based on the results of their state.

That means the delegates Trump has amassed so far must vote Trump on the first ballot, and the delegates Cruz has earned must vote Cruz, and what is a brokered convention and how does it work on. If any candidate has 1, delegates, he wins outright. But if the front-runner is just short of that mark, the convention is contested what is a brokered convention and how does it work things get interesting.

The delegate count after last night's results: There are a few hundred delegates who come to the convention " un-pledged " — free to choose whomever they wish. In the second round, more delegates become unbound from their candidate and can vote however they choose on a second ballot.

But some states still require bound delegates to stick with their initial candidate for multiple rounds, which could drag out the process even longer and lead to increased chaos. There's a new rule this year called Rule 40which says a candidate must have won a majority of delegates in at least eight primary contests to even be considered at the convention.

The rule was adopted after the convention as a way to prohibit outsiders who hadn't run in primaries from hijacking the nomination at a convention.

The Republican National Committee meets throughout the year, and can attempt to change the rule before the convention or as it begins. Trump is currently ahead of pace to secure the 1, delegates needed to win the nomination outright, according to FiveThirtyEight delegate estimates. After the March 8 contests, here's where the delegate race stands, per FiveThirtyEight pic. Kasich won his home state of Ohio on March 15, taking all 66 delegates and increasing the likelihood of a contested convention.

On the other hand, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio dropped out of the race after Trump took all 99 of Florida's delegates. Contested conventions are rare. And they don't usually portend good things for a party in a general election in November.

The last time Republicans had a contested convention was inwhen then-California Gov. Ronald Reagan kept President Gerald Ford from receiving a majority of delegates before the convention.

Democrats had a similar scenario inwhen then-Vice President Walter Mondale was 40 delegates short of the nomination at the convention. But he ultimately beat then-Sen. Gary Hart in the first round, only to lose to Reagan in a landslide in the general election.

The last time there was a brokered Republican convention was inwhen Thomas Dewey defeated Robert Taft after three rounds of balloting. We're using cookies to improve your experience.

Click Here to find out more. World Like Follow Follow. What is a contested convention?

What does a brokered convention even look like? More importantly, what is a brokered convention? A brokered convention is one historical form of a contested convention, when state party leaders or union bosses acted as brokers for their delegates in the convention horse-trading. The problem with a brokered convention is not just the bad press that will certainly hit the GOP Expect sensationalist headlines like: A what is a brokered convention and how does it work convention is incredibly complicated and logistically confusing.

One other thing that people may what is a brokered convention and how does it work know. In particular, there are various sorts of unbound delegates. This is much clearer in the case of the Democrats with their superdelegates, but there are some equivalent cases within the GOP. That maybe gives the GOP a percent fudge factor, depending on how you count different categories of delegates. Usually, that fuzzy math helps the establishment to consolidate around a nominee.

But the party could also seek to use those delegates to hold out for a contested convention rather than having to nominate Trump. Republican primary voters should be ready for a brokered convention end-game. This election season is different; Trump is a game-changer. Micah What is a brokered convention and how does it work, politics editor of FiveEightThirty catalogs the potential outcomes:.

Result in a Trump nomination. Result in an establishment nominee who is currently running. Result in an establishment nominee not currently running. The numbers indicate a dead-heat tie between the nomination of conservative firebrand Ted Cruz and an establishment candidate, ostensibly Rubio.

Ben Shapiro argues that the Republican Party has pigeon-holed itself after years of neglecting its conservative base.

The last time a political party even came remotely close to holding a brokered convention was inwhen the Democrats were split between Michael Dukakis, Al Gore, and Jesse Jackson. Dukakis eventually became the nominee and lost to Republican George H. Bush, after becoming the Democratic torchbearer in the final rounds of the primaries. The last actual brokered convention occurred during the Democratic Party primary.

For Republicans, it goes even further back, towhen Thomas E. Dewey clinched the nomination. Roosevelt was the last the candidate who won the presidency after going through a brokered convention nomination. The GOP establishment is navigating dangerous uncharted terrain. View the discussion thread.